Tourism in Alberta 2011 A Summary of 2011 Visitor Numbers and Characteristics June 2013
Due to methodological changes to the 2011 Travel Survey of Residents of Canada, there is a historical break in the data series. Therefore, commencing in 2011, data for Alberta and Other Canada may not be compared with previous years. Introduction Whether to see their friends and relatives, for business, or for pleasure, 35.3 million person-visits were made in 2011 to destinations in Alberta by residents of Alberta, and from other parts of Canada, the United States, and overseas countries. This includes same day and overnight trips for Albertans and residents of other parts of Canada, and overnight trips only for U.S. and overseas visitors. To better understand the volume and characteristics of these visitors, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation has prepared a special analyses of the 2011 Travel Survey of Residents of Canada (TSRC) and the 2011 International Travel Survey (ITS) which are both conducted by Statistics Canada. These consumer surveys provide tourism information for travel in Alberta by Canadians and trips to the province made by U.S. and overseas visitors. This summary highlights key findings only. For more information on tourism in Alberta, please contact Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation or visit www.tpr.alberta.ca Who Travels in Alberta? Alberta 86% Origin of Person-Visits in Alberta in 2011 (N = 35.3 Million Person-Visits) Overseas USA 2% 2% Other Canada 10% All trips: More visits in Alberta are made by residents of Alberta than by other Canadians, U.S. and overseas visitors. Of the 35.3 million person-visits in the province, 30.4 million (86%) were by Albertans. Another 3.4 million (10%) were by residents of other parts of Canada. The remaining 1.5 million personvisits (4%) came from the U.S. (2%) and overseas (2%). Albertans living in the Calgary and Area Tourism Region travelled more than any other segment of the province s population with 25% of all the person-visits in Alberta in 2011. Residents of the Alberta Central Tourism Region followed with 23% and residents of the Edmonton and Area Tourism Region accounted for 17%. The Alberta South Tourism Region residents took 13% of all the person-visits in the province, followed by residents of the Alberta North Tourism Region with 6% and residents of the Canadian Rockies Tourism Region with 2%. Overnight trips: Approximately 41% of all visits in the province included at least one overnight stop, yielding 14.4 million overnight person-visits in 2011. Approximately 33% of all visits in the province by Albertans included spending one or more nights away from home (10.2 million overnight person-visits). Residents of the Edmonton and Area Tourism Region and Calgary and Area Tourism Region both accounted for just under one-fifth (18%) each of all overnight travel in the province in 2011. This was followed by residents of the Alberta Central Tourism Region (17%), the Alberta South Tourism Region (8%), the Alberta North Tourism Region (7%) and the Canadian Rockies Tourism Region (1%).
Who Travels in Alberta? Major inbound overnight markets: Key sources of overnight inbound travel to Alberta include neighbouring provinces, northwestern U.S., and major European and Asian markets. Key Inbound Overnight Markets 2011 (In Rank Order) Overnight Person-Visits British Columbia 1,146,000 Saskatchewan 845,000 Ontario 451,000 Manitoba 172,000 United Kingdom 157,000 California 122,000 Quebec 92,000 Germany 74,000 Texas 64,000 Washington 53,000 Australia 58,000 Japan 46,000 Montana 46,000 The Netherlands 33,000 British Columbia is a substantive source of inbound travel to Alberta (1,146,000 overnight person-visits), followed by Saskatchewan (845,000), Ontario (451,000), and Manitoba (172,000). With 157,000 overnight person-visits, the United Kingdom generated more overnight travel in Alberta in 2011 than any American state. Major American states included California (122,000 overnight person-visits), Texas (64,000), and Washington (53,000). Overnight person-visits from Japan decreased slightly to 46,000 in 2011 from 52,000 the previous year, a decrease of 13%. However, the Asia/Pacific segment saw a small increase of approximately 2% in 2011 (252,000) compared to overnight person-visits in 2010 (248,000). Main Purpose of Overnight Travel Overnight person-visits in Alberta totalled 14.4 million in 2011. Across all markets, the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) segment represented 42% of Alberta Other Canada Overseas Main Purpose of Overnight Travel in 2011 (Overnight Person-Visits in '000s) USA Total 1,091 4,278 4,202 592 426 1,420 714 234 191 185 329 70 78 213 371 36 1,786 6,096 5,616 932 Business Pleasure VFR Other all overnight travel in the province (6.10 million person-visits). The overnight pleasure travel segment accounted for 39% (5.62 million personvisits), business travel accounted for 12% of all overnight trips in the province and 7% were for other purposes. The pleasure market represents just under one-half of the overnight travel in the province by American visitors (42%) and just over one-half of overnight travel by overseas visitors (53%). Visiting friends and relatives accounted for 24% of overnight travel by U.S. visitors and 31% of overseas visitors.
Accommodation in Alberta Over the course of 2011, visitors spent 47.70 million person-nights in Alberta. Twenty-seven per cent of these person-nights (12.99 million) were spent in the province s hotels, motels, resorts, cottages, bed and breakfast establishments, and other commercial roofed properties. A further eleven per cent were spent in campgrounds and trailer parks in the province (5.22 million). Over one-half (58%) of all person-nights spent in Alberta were spent in the homes of friends and relatives, private cottages, and other non-commercial accommodations (27.69 million). Four per cent were spent in other accommodations. Accommodation in Alberta in 2011 (Person-Nights in '000s) 5,670 4,201 12,598-3,223 463 8,714-1,806 214 1,406 545 2,291 341 4,976 1,254 12,990 5,219 27,694 1,799 Hotels,Motels, Resorts Camping/Trailer Parks Private Homes/Cottages Other Albertans spent approximately 12.60 million person-nights in the homes or cottages of their friends and relatives. They also spent 5.67 million person-nights in the province s hotels, motels, and other commercial roofed properties. Approximately, forty-four per cent of all person-nights spent in commercial properties are by Albertans. Albertans accounted for 80% of all camping nights spent in the province. Average Length of Stay for Overnight Visitors The average length of stay for all overnight visits to Alberta is 3.3 nights. Although Albertans account for the greatest number of overnight person-visits, the have the shortest average length of stay at 2.2 nights. The longest average length of stay belongs to the overseas market, with 12.7 nights on average for each visit. This is not surprising due to the distance that overseas visitors are required to travel to get to Alberta. Visitors from Ontario have the next longest average length of stay at 5.9 nights, followed by visitors from the United States at 5.1 nights. Average Length of Stay in Alberta 2011 All Overnight Visits 3.3 Canada 2.7 Alberta 2.2 B.C. 4.4 Saskatchewan 3.2 Ontario 5.9 United States 5.1 Overseas 12.7
Seasonality The summer months are more likely to generate travel in Alberta than are the winter months. The lure of July through September is especially evident for American and overseas visitors, with close to one-half of all overnight visits (46% for the U.S. and 43% for overseas markets) taking place in this three month period. Approximately 77% of all overseas travel to Alberta is made during the six month period of April through September (Quarter 2 and Quarter 3). Calendar Quarter of Overnight Visits in Alberta - 2011 January - March (Quarter 1) April - June (Quarter 2) July - September (Quarter 3) October - December (Quarter 4) All Overnight 18% 28% 33% 21% By Market Canada 19% 27% 32% 22% Alberta 19% 27% 32% 22% B.C. 15% 26% 36% 23% Saskatchewan 19% 28% 29% 24% Ontario 14% 39% 22% 25% USA 12% 26% 46% 16% Overseas 10% 34% 43% 13% Visitors from Alberta and Canada as a whole tend to visit the province more in the third quarter (32%) and the second quarter (27%) with fifty-nine per cent of their overnight person-visits occurring in these two quarters. Fifty-seven per cent of the visitors from Saskatchewan come to the province during the second and third quarter. Thirty-six per cent of all visitors from British Columbia come during the third quarter. Thirty-nine per cent of visitors from Ontario visit during the second quarter. Overnight visitors from the United States and overseas concentrate their visits to Alberta during the third quarter (July, August and September) at 46% and 43%, respectively. By way of contrast, only 12% of U.S. and 10% of overseas visitors come to Alberta during the first quarter (January, February and March), which is the smallest proportion of all visitor origins. U.S. and overseas visitors also have the smallest proportion of visits to Alberta during the fourth quarter (October, November and December) at 16% and 13%, respectively.
Overnight Tourism in Alberta s Regions Major urban areas are magnets for overnight travel in Alberta. Over the course of 2011, more than one-quarter (25%) of all person-nights spent in the province were spent in the Calgary and Area Tourism Region. Edmonton and Area Tourism Region (23%), Alberta Nights Spent in Alberta by Tourism Region in 2011 N= 47.70 Million Person-Nights Alberta North Alberta Central Edmonton & Area Canadian Ro ckies Calgary & Area Alberta South Region Unspecified Tourism Region and the Alberta South Tourism Region account for 34% of all person-nights spent in Alberta, with an additional 1% being unspecified. The Calgary and Area Tourism Region is the most widely visited tourism region in Alberta for overseas visitors, while the Edmonton and Area Tourism Region is the most widely visited tourism region for American visitors. More than one-third (40%) of all person-nights spent in the province by overseas visitors were spent in the Calgary and Area Tourism Region, while 36% of all person-nights spent in the province by American visitors were spent in the Edmonton and Area Tourism Region. The Calgary and Area Tourism Region also sees a large amount of Canadian person-nights (23%) spent in the area. ISBN: 978-1-4601-0729-4 ISSN: 1718-2999 0.50 4.08 4.30 7.89 7.91 Central Tourism Region (16%), and the Canadian Rockies Tourism Region(17%) were each responsible for approximately one-fifth of the nights spent by visitors in the province. Also, 9% of all person-nights were spent in Alberta South Tourism Region and 9% of all person-nights were spent in Alberta North Tourism Region. Approximately 1% of all person-nights spent in Alberta were in an unspecified region. Combined, the Canadian Rockies Tourism Region, the Calgary and Area Tourism Region, and the Edmonton and Area Tourism Region account for 65% of all person-nights spent in Alberta. The Alberta North Tourism Region, the Alberta Central Person-Nights in Alberta s Regions - By Market (All Purposes) Person-Nights 10.85 12.19 Canada 34.87 million USA 3.97 million Alberta North 10% 5% Alberta Central 21% 7% Edmonton and Area 22% 36% Canadian Rockies 13% 26% Calgary and Area 23% 17% Alberta South 10% 8% Region Unspecified 1% 1% For more information, please contact: Kristy Baker Tourism Research Analyst Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (780) 415 1224 kristy.baker@gov.ab.ca Overseas 8.86 million 5% 4% 20% 27% 40% 4% 0%